Osun2018: Omisore Wins SDP Primaries
18 July 2018. Osogbo

SDP Primaries were successfully conducted in all the 332 Wards of the 30 LGs of Osun State on Wednesday, 18 July 2018. The contest was bewteen three aspirants: Otunba Yemisi Oladeji, Senator Iyiola Omisore and Barrister Kehinde Atanda.

After conducting elections by direct Option A4 mode in 332 Wards, the LG Returning Officers started to converge at the Collation Centre in Osogbo at about 5pm of Wednesday evening. The process of the collation under Prof. Rufai Alkali, the Chief Returning Officer for the Primaries was quite smooth and highly professional. SDP party officials from Abuja, Officers of INEC, DSS, Police and Osun State SDP Exco were all in attendance.

As at 9.00pm, when the results from 28 out of 30 LGs had come in and were read out, it became obvious that Senator Iyiola Omisore was in a comfortable lead while the other two aspirants, Messrs Oladeji and Atanda trailed behind. Otunba Yemisi Oladeji, one of the aspirants who was also in attendance throughout the collation showed great maturity by conceding defeat at this point.

Meanwhile, another aspirant, Barrister Kehinde Atanda stealthily sneaked out of the ongoing SDP process and attempted to declare himself winner without any returns from the Wards and Local Governments or backing by any SDP Party officials or statutory agents.

At the conclusion of the collation of votes from all the 332 wards, the Chief Returning Officer, Professor Rufai Alkai declared Senator Iyiola Omisore winner with 123,485 votes, Otunba Yemisi Oladeji second with 1,805 and Bar. Kehinde Atanda third with 1,617 votes.

Dr Olu Agunloye Osogbo